


Not your typical dance partner

by randomlittleimp



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Missing Scene, Pre-Captain America: The First Avenger, Pre-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Unsolved Mysteries, ghost story, resurrection mary, summer job in chicago
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-13 13:27:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29029437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomlittleimp/pseuds/randomlittleimp
Summary: Bucky and Steve get summer jobs in Chicago, Their last night there they meet someone unexpected.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers
Kudos: 1





	Not your typical dance partner

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little plot bunny I had. I blame an overly active imagination and a love of Unsolved Mysteries. Should have put it out for Halloween.

It was springtime in Brooklyn and Steve was counting his pennies to see if he had enough for groceries this week. It had been a hard winter for him and Bucky. Not too much work to go around and he was sick for the majority of January. Bucky hadn’t complained about what little he made going to pay for Steve’s medicine but he still felt bad about being such a burden. He had just enough change to get a few essentials, but they would have to bake their own bread instead of buying it from the baker. It was a let down because neither of them could bake worth a damn and their bread always came out way too tough. Steve swiped the coins off the table and put them in his pocket before heading out to the store.

Steve’s mom had died just the previous October, and while Steve had tried to make it on his own it didn’t last. By Christmas Steve had to pack up all his meager possessions and move in with Bucky, not being able to pay the rent on the home he had known all his life. He sold everything he could part with just to help with Bucky’s bills, but finding steady work had been almost impossible. Bucky had worked down at the docks on occasion and they both helped their aging super with building repairs to make the rent. It was just enough to keep a roof over their heads, even if it leaked sometimes.

By the time he returned with his small shopping bag Bucky had returned from the employment office. He was pacing the small kitchen, bubbling over with excitement Steve hadn’t seen much of lately. It was obviously good news. “We’re going to Chicago!” Bucky practically yelled as soon as Steve was through the door.

“What?” Steve was dumbstruck.

“We are going to Chicago! I got us jobs there for the summer, maybe longer. We’ve got train tickets and a place to stay, everything. We leave the day after tomorrow.” Bucky was practically bouncing in his excitement.

Steve set down the groceries before he dropped them, it wouldn’t do to break the eggs he just bought. “Buck, calm down a minute. You’re not making sense. What jobs, and why Chicago?”

Bucky took a deep breath and settled himself, “The WAP thing the president set up, they are paying people to do jobs out in Chicago. You are going to get paid to draw buildings for some historical registry or something. How great is that?”

Steve smiled, he loved drawing, and he was pretty good too, but he never thought he’d get paid for it, “Wow, that is pretty great. How’d you manage that?”

“Well when I heard they were looking for artists I mentioned you. I showed them that picture you drew of me and Nancy out on the pier, they loved.” Bucky explained.

“That picture is like three years old and all crumpled up. It wasn’t even that good.” 

“Well the lady at the employment office thought it was, and hell you’re even better now. You’re gonna blow their socks off when they see how good you really are!” Bucky was back to bouncing in place.

“What about you? What job you gonna be doing?” Steve asked.

Bucky stopped bouncing, “They need men to help with their sewer improvement project.”

Steve stifled a laugh, “Talk about a shitty job, and in the middle of summer. That is not going to make you popular with the ladies.”

Bucky punched him in the shoulder, but not hard, and Steve could see a little bit of a smirk on his friend's face, “Shut it punk.”

Steve started going through the bag to put stuff away while Bucky kept talking, “Just think of the money we can save up though. They paid for the train tickets there and back. I mean we’re practically in the luggage car but it’s paid for. Once we get there, they are putting us up in some apartment building with all the other workers. I’ll bet we will be packed in like sardines but who cares, no rent.”

The thought of not paying rent made Steve think of something, “What about this place, who’s gonna pay rent here?”

“I already talked to Gus about it. He said he has some family coming into town for the summer from the old country and they need a place to stay. He said he’ll keep the place for us after that till we get back. We can leave our stuff we don’t take with us with my ma.” Bucky had thought of everything it seemed.

‘Well, I guess we need to start packing.” Steve was smiling as he thought about the great opportunity ahead of them.

That day they baked their bread, which was their best attempt yet and packed up all their possessions. The next day Bucky took the stuff they needed to store while they were away over to his mother’s while Steve swept up their rooms. The next morning they were at the train station with a small satchel with a couple changes of clothes for them both and a few sandwiches and apples to eat on the trip. They were packed in shoulder to shoulder with barely enough room to move, but the cramped conditions couldn’t dampen their good mood.

\---------------

The summer of 1937 went by fast, Steve and Bucky worked as much as they were able socking away every penny they could. They still had to buy their own food and personal items, but not paying rent made it easy to save up a healthy bit. Unfortunately summer was quickly coming to an end and their return date was looming. It was a bitter sweet thing, they were excited to get back to New York, but were really enjoying the pay. On their final Saturday in Chicago Steve came back to their shared rooms to find Bucky shining his dancing shoes and airing out one of his suits. Steve hadn’t even known he brought them to Chicago. “You planning a night out Buck?”

“Yes I am, and so are you.” Bucky didn’t even look up from his task.

“Me? Oh no, I am going to stay right here and finish my last drawing, so I can turn it in on Monday before we leave.” Steve shook his head.

“Come on punk, it’s our last weekend in town. The Willowbrook Ballroom has live music tonight. Louie lent me his truck. We are going, so go take a shower and get cleaned up.”

Steve knows he’s going to do just what Bucky asks but grumbles about it anyhow, “Just what I want to be dismissed by the women in a whole new city.”

Bucky gets up and slaps a hand on Steve’s shoulder and says with much more optimism than Steve thinks is realistic, “Man, you never know, the women here might give you a chance. You’ll never know if you don’t try. Now hurry up, they might fill up fast.”

Steve grabbed a towel and headed for the shower room to scrub the charcoal pencil off his hands and face. After dressing in the nicest slacks and shirt he had brought with him he met up with Bucky out front of the building to head out.

It was a beautiful, open air pavilion and the band music was lively and the mood was good. There were quite a lot of people dancing or moving around and talking. Bucky had already had a few dances with different girls and was taking a break to get a drink with Steve when they both spotted a lovely blonde in a white dress hovering around the edges of the dance floor. No one else seemed to be paying her any attention. “Now that is a crying shame, beautiful girl like that should not be looking so sad.”

“Well gee Buck, whatever will you do?” Steve smirks up at his friend, the sarcasm so thick it could be cut with a knife. Bucky punches him in the shoulder lightly.

“Punk,” and with that Bucky swaggers over to the girl, a flirty grin on his face.

Steve just laughs, he’s used to Bucky’s girl chasing and wouldn’t want to change him. Shortly after that Steve started up a conversation with a couple other sad guys standing in the corner as Bucky danced the rest of the night with the blonde in the white dress.

By the time Bucky’s dance card was out of dances he made his way back over to Steve with the blonde still on his arm, “You ready to go Steve?”

“Yea Buck, it’s gonna take all day to finish that drawing while trying to shake off this late night.” Steve shrugs his coat on, a smile on his face. Bucky was right to drag him out, even if nothing was different he would have regretted being in Chicago and spending the entire time working.

Bucky leads the girl forward to introduce her, “Steve this is Mary and she needs a lift home.”

“It’s nice to meet you Steve. James told me lots of great things about you.” Mary says as she extends her hand for Steve to shake.

“I’m sure he did, he’s a good pal.” Steve took her fingers in his hand and noticed how cold they felt.

“You don’t mind going a little out of our way to make sure such a lovely young woman makes it home safe, do you pal?” Bucky was all smiles and charm, and he knew his mother would never have let him get away with saying no to such a request. So the three piled into the borrowed car, Mary insisted on sitting in the back seat by herself as she directed Bucky to take them down Archer Avenue. It was dark now and there were very few houses in the area when Mary suddenly asked them to stop.

Bucky pulled over and looked around. There was no house in sight. “You sure this is where you want me to drop you doll? I don’t see any houses nearby.” When he turned around to face Mary, he found the back seat empty. “Where’d she go?”

“There she is.” Steve points across the street.

“I didn’t even hear the car door open, did you?” Bucky stares at the retreating back of the young woman as she appears to walk right through a gate and slowly disappear in front of their eyes.

“Buck, that’s a cemetery.” Both young men stared out into the darkness.

“Should I get out and try to help her?” Bucky asks, his voice not much more than a whisper.

“You brought her home Buck, I don’t think there is anything more you or anyone can do for her anymore. Let’s go home.”

“Yea, That’s a good idea.” Bucky slowly pulls back on to the road and the two travel in silence, neither wanting to talk about what just happened.


End file.
